YANKEES TARGET TO REPLACE BENINTENDI STINKS!

I can't say I can relate to that statement since it isn't applicable to me....but that's what a coworker said to me after Andrew Benintendi split. I don't need to have the groin to know this one does sting when you took a deeper look at the dynamics.

I have been a Benintendi fan for a long time. When he played for the Boston Red Sox I hated that he played against us and he had the skills we really needed. How can you not love a 28-year old let handed hitter that makes contact? He's exactly what the Yankees needed so yes, I am bummed he is gone.

But maybe he didn't love the Yankees as much as I loved having him. Or maybe the Yankees finally realized their bad money management screwed them. I tend to believe the latter but last month we wrote RUMOR: BENINTENDI MIGHT NOT WANT TO TO RETURN TO THE YANKEES and I was hoping the rumor was wrong, and we may never know but maybe there was some truth to it.

I have a hard time believing that crappy bottom of the barrel Joey Gallo can get a one-year deal at $11 million but Benintendi was only worth five years at $75 million? Sure, his injury didn't help last season but this is a guy that doesn't have an extensive injury history and can hit and field more consistently than ANYONE on the Yankees roster. He's as valuable as they come so the fact that he left for the White Sox stings. 

That contract is one the Yankees shouldn't have even blinked at, but since they have too many other bad contracts on the books and are looking at paying hefty taxes thanks to the luxury tax I believe they screwed themselves. Now the Yankees are looking at "Plan B" and honestly shouldn't even be an option! You can read more HERE in case you missed it but come on....seriously....Michael Conforto? That's just laughable! That should be a hard pass. I don't care that he's a lefty, he's a huge risk. The Yankees would be better off giving Harrison Bader an opportunity because he impressed last season and guess what....he's cheaper.

Looking at the business side of things, losing Benintendi particularly hurts considering the Yankees gave up a trio of good mid-level pitching prospects in righties Beck Way, T.J. Sikkema and Chandler Champlain. Hindsight is 20/20 but losing good prospects for a short term rental that got injured is hard to swallow.

I'm trying to look forward, but it is hard. This one hurts in more ways than one. Hopefully the pain subsides but it will if I have to listen to Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone tell us how great Aaron Hicks is going to be as the starter in LF this year I will lose my mind!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

TONS OF TALENT IN THE 2023 YANKEE STARTING ROTATION!

The signing of Carlos Rodon earlier this week pushed the 2023 Yankee starting rotation to number one . Led by Gerrit Cole, Rodon will likely slot second in the rotation as one of the best, most dominant pitchers in baseball. In fact he could certainly position himself as the Yankees lefty ace to stand tall alongside the righty Cole! Then there's Nestor Cortes, the standout surprise of 2022 for the Yankees. Yes, there is tons of talent in the 2023 Yankee starting rotation. But can they work together, stay healthy and have the endurance to push through 162 games into the Fall Classic? Let's unpack it.

We've seen Cole in action for two full seasons now and although he stacks as one of the best pitchers in baseball, he gives up way too many home runs which hurts his ability to pitch more innings and remain consistent. As CBS Sports reports, "Cole led the AL with 33 homers allowed last season. He allowed a home run in all three of his playoff starts and, in fact, has given up at least one home run in his last nine playoff starts going back to 2019." 

The Yankees definitely bring the heat, but the upside is that home runs are more frequent, particularly in the short porch of Yankee Stadium. "In fourseam fastball whiff rate (with 1,000 pitches minimum) last season, Cole was No. 1 and Rodón was No. 2 in all of baseball."

The concern with the Yankee new left hander is that Rodón has dealt with shoulder injuries in 2016 and 2021 and had Tommy John surgery in between. "This means he started, by season,12, 20, 7 and 2 games, respectively, from 2017-20. In 2021, it looked like his career year, but he only managed 23 innings in five starts after Aug. 7. Even in making 31 starts last season, he averaged just 5 2/3 innings per start, adding up to 178 on the season."

Then there Nasty Nestor who had the best season of his life in 2022. Can 2023 be a repeat or even better? And what about Luis Severino and Frankie Montas? Are they able to make a powerful impact this season. If the answers are in fact yes to these questions, the Yankees will be unstoppable defensively, a trait we have not seen since the 2000 dynasty years.

"On a pure talent level, this is the best rotation the Yankees have featured in decades. It wouldn’t surprise me, and shouldn’t you, if the position group tops 20 WAR — a rebounding Gerrit Cole and both Sevy and Cortes able to pitch more innings than last season gets you pretty close, and none of those circumstances would be that outside the realm of possibilities," wrote SB Nation.

To keep their talent healthy, the Yankee coaching staff will need to ensure their big five starters have a consistent strength and conditioning program, good off the field routines and strategies to support their overall health and wellness. 162 games make a very long season. Only the strongest prevail and the Yankees have certainly had their share of injuries. Can 2023 be the new 2001 for Yankee pitching? Now wouldn't that be something!  

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

RODON IS BRONX BOUND!

I expected this to happen after Christmas, not going to lie. I'm unprepared like many and I really wanted to show everyone Rodan from the Godzilla movies in my story today, but then the "A" in that Rodan character threw a wrench in my illustrations for the Yankees Carlos Rodon... as seen above, spelled with an "O". 

Oh well. Life goes on. You know what else? Carlos Rodon is a New York Yankee. Hell yea he is!

News broke about Rodon's signing last night. I was out Christmas Shopping. And I figured the news would still be here this morning, and so here I am.

ESPN writes:

"Left-handed starter Carlos Rodon is in agreement with the New York Yankees on a six-year, $162 million deal, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Thursday.

Rodon, 30, was the top pitcher left on the market after he opted out of a contract with the San Francisco Giants following last season. He was 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 2022, pitching a career-high 178 innings over 31 starts. He also earned his second straight All-Star selection."

And NJ.com writes this:

"According to the Boston Globe, New York finalized the deal with Scott Boras while the uber-agent was at Fenway Park.

Moments after the media availability to introduce (Masataka) Yoshida, (Scott) Boras concluded a deal with the Sox’ rivals, negotiating a six-year, $162 million deal with the New York Yankees for lefthander Carlos Rodón. The late-stage negotiations took place as Boras snacked on food from a buffet provided by the Red Sox."

Now this kind of thing has happened to the Yankees too. I remember the Yankees were interested in Dice-K, we lost to the Sox and snatched up Kei Igawa. 

Yeah... that didn't work out. But look, this one, Rodon, did work out in the Yankees favor however, and I'm thrilled.  Look at this rotation:

Listen to our guys Jack Curry and Bob Lorenz:

.@Boblorenz & @JackCurryYES break down the reported addition of Carlos Rodón to the Yankees starting rotation. pic.twitter.com/DZUcQXkGeC

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 16, 2022

Something the Yankees have wanted for a long time, solid consistency. The bottom line is the Yankees want to win. 

This is big.  Thrilled that Hal Steinbrenner has woken up. Looking forward to this Yankee season. This 2023 season will be a very important one.

THE ELITE OUTFIELDER THE YANKEES NEED TO GET NOW!

I like to dream big. That being said...I am dreaming REALLY big right now. I say go big or go home, and if the Yankees traded for my pick of a new outfielder, they would make a BIG upgrade that could possibly bring home our next championship.

To say I am over Aaron Hicks is the understatement of the century. He is an epic waste of money and a failure. We also can't forget Jacoby Ellsbury, that's a nightmare I won't soon forget. Brian Cashman has pulled the trigger on some questionable outfielders so the way I see it.... I can't do much worse.

Cashman needs to pick up the phone and give Mike Hazan in Arizona a call. Other teams are doing it, especially after Hazan said he would entertain the idea of moving some of his outfielders at the winter meetings. Just start a conversation, it can't hurt. They have depth in the outfield, and they also have a guy perfect for us.

The Diamondbacks have a few intriguing names, but I'm most interested in Daulton Varsho. He's 26, a lefty, has some nice pop, can steal and he's an amazing defender. His batting average may not be impressive, but the 27 home runs and 16 steals and 74 RBI's would be a nice addition to our lineup. The Yankees can work on his batting average and on base percentage, but he has a natural talent, and his glove is golden.

I mean Golden quite literally. He has already proven to be an elite defender. I've never been a huge believer in WAR but even those stats don't lie. He has the highest Outs Above Average among ALL outfielders in baseball and was second in Defensive Runs Saved. He's a lot of fun to watch in the outfield, he makes plays that make your jaw drop.

And jaw dropping is what the Yankees could be with an outfield of Harrison Bader, Varsho and Aaron Judge. That would be ELITE in baseball, and it is fun to think about. It would also be costly for the Yankees. Out of all of the Diamondbacks outfielders, Varsho has the most experience. He played in 151 games last season AND can even play catcher in a pitch. He actually caught a no-hitter for the Dbacks back in 2021....I kick myself because my family got to watch the game in person while I sat at home. The Dbacks are going to want a lot for him.... but it's worth a conversation. Varsho has four years of club control left and he's going to be arbitration eligible next winter so he's about to become very expensive and the Dbacks have plenty of depth so that could be motivation to move him.

I'm not gonna lie...I know the Yankees are concentrating on more pitching right now, but it is hard not to get excited about Varsho and what our outfield COULD look like. The Astros are also rumored to be interested in Varsho also....and I hate that idea. If he's gonna be dealt, PLEASE let him come our way. Varsho could be a game changer; in fact I'd bet on it.

 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

YANKEES INCH ONE STEP CLOSER TO SIGNING CARLOS RODON

Source: ESPN

With Anthony Rizzo and Aaron Judge contracts intact, the Yankees look to beef up their starting rotation with another hard throwing pitcher. The Bombers have been eyeing left-hander Carlos Rodon, and are expected to make a formal offer early this week. With Wednesday upon us, San Francisco where Rodon played last season have since signed former Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Ross Stripling on a two-year, $25 million contract and now Carlos Correa to 13-year $350 million deal, reports ESPN's Jeff Passan. This pushes the envelope perhaps an inch closer to the Yankees making a deal with Rodon.

Source: The New York Post

According to the New York Post, "The initial indication is that Rodon seeks seven-plus years at $200 million plus, and while the Yankees seem reluctant to go to that length, they also seem very serious and hopeful about this pursuit." With Chris Bassitt to the Blue Jays, the Yankees need to close this deal with Rondon in order to remain competitive and support the big time signing of Yankee slugger Aaron Judge.

According to the Post, "Rodon thrived in 2022 as a Giant, posting a 2.88 ERA with 237 strikeouts over 178 innings, while leading the league among qualifiers with 12 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.25 FIP. Rodon celebrated his 30th birthday Saturday." Seven years is a long time for a pitcher to remain healthy and competitive. 

So if the Yankees take a hard pass because of Rodon's contract requirements, who can they leverage for another big arm to keep them in the hunt for a championship in 2023? According to Yahoo Sports, it actually could be Gleyber Torres. The 26-year-old had a comeback season in 2022, and perhaps just enough to be a good trading chip for another quality arm in the rotation.

Source: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Yahoo Sports sources said that "they thought trading Torres was the Yanks’ real chance to get an impact starting pitcher, assuming they do not sign free agent Carlos Rodón. But another wondered if the rest of baseball saw Torres as enough of a big bat to lure a quality starter in trade." I can't say I disagree.

So it is safe to say a deal will happen soon for Rodon and the Yankees are the top candidate followed by the Giants and the Cardinals. The Yankees need to lock up starting pitching and plug that gaping hole in left field. Perhaps Torres could help with that issue; but that is for another piece. For now, let's hope the Yankees get Rodon and continue to build their team for what is shaping to be a fun 2023 for baseball. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKEES JUST MADE ANOTHER MOVE... HOLLA

Quick note. The Yankees have signed a pitcher to a minor league deal. Sound good? Sure. 

Jack Curry has the tweet:

James Norwood, a righty reliever who was 1-0 w/ 8.31 ERA and 22K/9BB in 17 1/3 IP for Phillies in 2022, has signed minor league deal w/ Yankees. He averaged 97 with FB and throws splitter & slider. He graduated from All Hallows HS, which is a few minutes away from Yankee Stadium

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) December 13, 2022

No, it's not Rodon, but stockpiling arms is always a good thing.

And I love this; Empire Sports Media writes:

"James Norwood Has a Gross Splitter

The best pitch James Norwood throws is his Splitter, a pitch that is thrown at 90.7 MPH with a whopping 11.2″ of Horizontal Break and 4.5″ of Induced Vertical Break. This means not only does he get a ton of run, but he also gets a lot of vertical separation from his fastball with 5.9 MPH of velocity separation. Typically the mark you want to surpass is 10″ of Vertical Separation, and Norwood’s Splitter has 11.1″ of Vertical Separation off of his fastball. This is what allowed it to generate a 42.7% Whiff% and .242 xwOBA at 40.8% Usage, meaning it’s effective at high volume."

Nice move. What's next?

NEXT WINTER WISH LIST ITEM: CARLOS RODON IN PINSTRIPES!

Let the battle begin! Carlos Rodon is the top remaining free agent starter, and several teams want him. This one may come down to yet another competition between the Yankees and the San Francisco Giants.

If that's the case and this does come down to us and the Giants, we do have momentum on our side now that Aaron Judge has returned. So hopefully that helps us get a strong pitching return to the roster now that Jameson Taillon is a Cubbie. The loss of Taillon may not sound like a big loss but he did throw 177 innings for us last season so that's a large workload to replace.

And it has to be the right replacement. Last season Frankie Montas didn't deliver as expected and Luis Severino hasn't pitched a regular workload since 2018 due to injuries. Taillon leaves a hole bigger than some may realize, and Rodon has matured nicely the last two years after five mediocre years with the White Sox. Rodon could be the guy that helps round out the rotation.

I'm a big fan of a lefty, especially at Yankee stadium. I believe Rodon adds depth to the pitching rotation that would make all opponents uncomfortable. I think he brings balance and could be very productive in New York....could be. The real question is, can he handle the pressure that comes with pitching in New York? That is always the million-dollar question.

Rodon is about to get a payday, and rumor has it he is seeking a seven-year deal, read more HERE. Before the offseason kicked into full gear, he was seeking a six-year deal but since teams so far are not shying away from their investments, he should easily get that. The question is.... will he stay in San Francisco? Will he be a Yankee....or will another team snag him? The Yankees are preparing an offer along with at least 6 other known teams but again, not surprising.

The Yankees need to address their rotation, I think Rodon has the skillset, but I'm not so sure the Yankees will make another long-term commitment at a high annual average value. The offseason has been crazy so far. I want Rodon, but I also don't want to overpay for him either. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

TATIS TO THE YANKEES: A MADE-UP RUMOR, BUT A GREAT IDEA

Once Aaron Judge was signed, I'm not going to lie, I kind of wanted to hibernate. I was like the day I got engaged. There was so much build up to the moment, and then it happened, and I needed a long nap. It took everything out of me.

But now we want the next big thing to happen. Just read Suzie Pinstripe's story, YANKEES HAVE A LOT TO DO NOW THAT JUDGE IS BACK. I mean, we got Judge, but we need to improve the team as well.

A story went out today from ESPN, who is for the most part pretty unreliable and biased against the New York teams. This has been known forever. But what I found interesting was the nugget that popped up out of nowhere. Listen...

Tatis to the Yankees?  I laughed at first.  Listen to this...

Fernando Tatis Jr. to the #Yankees? @HDumpty39 is hearing rumblings.

LISTEN: https://t.co/cd8W4sHvNW. pic.twitter.com/Il8cwXx8sx

— DiPietro & Rothenberg (@DRonESPN) December 12, 2022

OK, now a few things here.

For one, this story is not true. If someone heard it, someone's making it up. There has been zero connection with the San Diego Padres and the Yankees.   If you search about the internet, this is the only source and plenty, even high-level baseball insiders have never heard a whisper.  But think about this... does it make sense? It does.

First off, Tatis has a 14-year, $340 million contract with the Padres. That is insane considering we just signed Judge to a ridiculous amount, and we had to do that.  This we don't have to do, but we could.  

For one, Cashman would have to really think about a way to have the Padres pay for that contract.  Secondly, he'd have to give up some guys, some damaged goods like the Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson's of the world, and then some top talent.  And I'm talking about guys like Jasson Dominguez or Anthony Volpe or a guy like Oswaldo Cabrera and maybe even a player more.  Now you can say this is too much and what are we doing here... I am speculating because I love this idea and it falls in line with the old Steinbrenner way. 

Tatis needs a second chance after PEDs. And if we saw anything from Hal Steinbrenner this year it's that he is slowly turning into his old man. Willing to get on the phone himself, surpassing Cashman and locking in guys.  

Plus, like I said, Tatis needs a second chance. Remember Darryl Strawberry? Remember Dwight Gooden? Second chances, new environment and the nod from the Boss to turn it around and they did.  If Hal is really like his old man, he'll get all nostalgic about second chances and try to make this deal to clear up Tatis's image and allow his talents to shine in the Bronx. 

Tatis can hit. He can also play short, outfield and if we can move Donaldson, what a pleasure it could be to have him at third and IKF at short for a hot minute before we bring up Volpe.  And hey, you don't wanna do that? Put Tatis in the outfield with Bader and Judge. We need that too and he plays there.

The whole Carlos Correa to the Yankees story is not happening. He is hated in New York, and we'd be fools to sign that guy. He's an arrogant prick.  While Tatis can show arrogance, he more moldable now because of his shortcomings of the PEDs scandal. He's trying to turn it around and get in the good graces of baseball fans again.

Look, tell me I'm wrong, that's fine. But while this story is absolutely not true... it could be, and I like it. 

YANKEES HAVE A LOT TO DO NOW THAT JUDGE IS BACK

Source: CBS Sports

It is both a sigh of relief and cheers of excitement that our home-grown slugger is back in pinstripes. To even picture Aaron Judge in another uniform was nauseating. And now that Judge's negotiations are over, the Yankees need to get down to business with the rest of the team. The Yankees have a lot to do now that Judge is back. In fact it was Aaron Judge that told leadership he wanted to see improvement if he was to turn down the opportunity to pitch at home in San Francisco and leave $400 million on the table for San Diego. Time to own up to this pledge to do better. 

According to CBS Sports, "Left field is a glaring need and adding another starting pitcher is never a bad idea. The left side of the infield needs work too, though the Yankees do have good internal options there. Judge getting back was an important offseason goal. Now the Yankees have to improve the roster around him." Aaron Hicks offered nothing since signing his big contract a few seasons ago. His stints to the IL and lack of hustle in the field only added salt to the Yankees wounds. 

Source: Scott Faytok | NJ Advance Media

"During the Winter Meetings, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that the Yankees would “love” to bring Andrew Benintendi back. Last season was a career year for Benintendi, who was an All-Star for the first time. He hit .320 with a 124 OPS+ before joining the Yankees. In New York, he hit just .254 with a 109 OPS+ in 33 games before a broken hamate bone ended his season," reported NJ.com. The Yankees have also expressed their interest in Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds who asked to be traded earlier this week. The switch hitting All Star would make a great addition to the Yankees but it will cost them a lot to get him. 

Then there is starting pitching. The Yankees parted ways with Jameson Taillon earlier this week. Taillon accepted a four-year, $68 million deal late Tuesday night with the Cubs, pending a physical. That leaves a hole in the middle of the rotation, one the Yankees need to quickly fill. 

Source: Associated Press

"The Yankees are preparing to make an offer to Carlos Rodon, their top remaining target, and seem hopeful, or perhaps even optimistic, which shouldn’t come as a surprise the way this winter has gone. The Yankees beat out the Giants (who also are pursuing Rodon) for their own superstar Aaron Judge, and the Mets kept Brandon Nimmo, also preventing him from going to San Francisco," reported The New York Post. Rodon is a hard throwing left-hander and ironically was a Giant, last season. In 2022, he posted a 2.88 ERA, and 237 strikeouts over 178 innings. 

The Yankees have a lot to do now that Judge is back for good. Let's hope they can get some deals done before the end of the year and start 2023 in a great and powerful way. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

INTERESTING DETAILS SURROUNDING JUDGE'S RETURN EMERGE

Start spreading the news.... Aaron Judge ISN'T leaving. He's here to stay and some of the details leading up to return to the Yankees ae intriguing. In fact, it might give you a new appreciation for Yankee brass.

Look, this is the story of the Winter Meetings. Judge coming back is HUGE and if this story HERE is true, it's not all thanks to Brian Cashman, he had extra support from Aaron Boone and Hal Steinbrenner. We always knew the Giants were in the mix for Judge, we knew they wanted him badly. Leading up to the Winter Meetings I kept watching MLB coverage about Judge and MLB analysts kept saying they believed the Judge sweepstakes was only down to two teams.... there would be no mystery team. I didn't believe that for a minute.

Judge just had a monster season, so why should it only be down to two teams? I'm honestly not surprised to hear that The Padres jumped in rather late with a 10 year $400 million offer that wasn't put in writing at the time. If that was the offer, that's huge. But what's also huge is that Judge left another year and $40 million on the table to come back to us.

Boone's phone call to Judge doesn't surprise me in fact I expect that considering how he is such a player's manager. I do know several Yankee fans though that were pleasantly surprised to hear that Hal himself reached out to Judge and asked if he wanted to be a Yankee and what it would take to get him back. Hal takes a lot of heat for not being like his dad and not having that same passion to want to win.... he just showed us that he does. Over the years I have given Hal a lot of crap, especially recently so it is nice to see him step up when it matters most.

If the Padres offer above was legitimate, I have a new respect for Judge. He left another year and a large sum of money on the table to stay in pinstripes and that is respect. That is a man with integrity and passion. Now....give that man the captain title!

Judge is a Yankee. He belongs in the Bronx, not back in his old stomping grounds. He's right where he belongs. Santa came early this year, and it feels good.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj